UNSC REFORM: PGA GIVES OEWG "TIME AND SPACE IT

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001095

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC UNGA KUNR
SUBJECT: UNSC REFORM: PGA GIVES OEWG "TIME AND SPACE IT
NEEDS" UNTIL LAUNCHING NEGOTIATIONS IN FEBRUARY 2009

REF: A. USUN NEW YORK 1065

B. USUN NEW YORK 927

C. USUN NEW YORK 840


1. (SBU) Summary: On November 17, the President of the
General Assembly (PGA) announced the cancellation of the
November 21 launch of intergovernmental negotiations on
Security Council expansion in an informal plenary of the
General Assembly, reversing his October 10 decision. He
agreed that both the "letter and spirit" of GA decision
62/557 should be implemented, thereby allowing the Open-ended
Working Group (OEWG) to deliberate but emphasizing that
intergovernmental negotiations would begin no later than
February 28, 2009. The PGA called for member states to
submit papers to "fuel the debate" since his office would not
be putting forth its own paper. The next OEWG meeting will
likely be December 5. End summary.


2. (SBU) At the start of the November 17 Open-ended Working
Group (OEWG) meeting, President of the General Assembly (PGA)
Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann announced that he plans to
implement both the "letter and the spirit" of GA decision
62/557 (ref C) and intends to give the OEWG "the time and
space it needs until February 2009 to pave the way towards
inter-governmental negotiations," and so canceled his
previously-announced November 21 meeting to begin
negotiations. He said, "If the OEWG crosses the finish line
earlier than 21 November, we can start on that date.
However, something tells me that we are not going to make it,
so I suggest you take that off your agenda. I feel we need a
couple more meetings of the OEWG."


3. (SBU) The PGA called for member states to fuel the
discussion with ideas and submit papers to his office. He
will not be putting forward his own paper. Compared with his
November 11 remarks when he criticized the Uniting for
Consensus (UFC) bloc for pressuring him (ref A) to delay,
this time he tried to rally the membership together and ended
his remarks with, "Coming together, keeping together and
working together."


4. (SBU) During the 2.5-hour session, 26 delegations made
interventions but there were few rhetorical high points, as
compared with the November 11 session. China, the only P-5
member not to speak November 11, welcomed the PGA's decision
and stressed the importance of the OEWG's work in the next
few months to increase member states' trust and cooperation.
A number of speakers stuck to their prepared remarks and
called for negotiations to start November 21, ignoring the
PGA's opening clarification. The Solomon Islands criticized
the PGA for "pronouncing on a direction" before hearing from
the full membership. Several African states went beyond
repeating the Ezulwini Consensus. Namibia stressed the need
to honor the September 15, 2008 compromise. Algeria, not a
regular speaker at OEWG meetings, voiced support for the
PGA's statement and for the Mexican-proposed schedule of work
(ref A). A number of states - Malaysia, Fiji, Cuba - voiced
outrage at the "gentleman's agreement" referred to in the
PGA's November 11 remarks and noted that they had not been
part of it.


5. (SBU) Afghan Perm Rep Ambassador Tanin, in his capacity as
Vice Chair of the OEWG, presided over 90 percent of the
meeting. He said that the next meeting of the OEWG would be
announced in the Journal. He also urged member states to
contact the PGA with ideas to "fuel the process." (Note: The
PGA's Dutch expert on Security Council reform Mark Van Der
Velden told PolOff November 19 that the next meeting of the
OEWG would likely be December 5. End note.)
Khalilzad